In 1834 six Dorset farm labourers were tried and condemned to transportation to Australia for joining an early Trade Union. Since then the ‘Tolpuddle Martyrs’ have become an iconic part of modern British History. Three years before the events in Tolpuddle much of rural England was rocked by a massive uprising of farm labourers known as the ‘Swing Riots’. This pamphlet analyses why ‘Tolpuddle’ has taken its place in the popular memory, and why the far more significant events of ‘Swing’ have been […]
Ben Tillett Audio
Below is the audio from Jim McNeil's talk about Ben Tillett at Hydra Books. The talk an opportunity for Jim to launch his new pamphlet about Ben Tileltt. To find out more about this pamphlet, and all our pamphlets, take a look at the Publications Page. Part 1 Part 2
John Desmond Audio
Below is more audio from the week of talks to mark the opening of Hydra Books at 34 Old Market. Lessons from the Tredegar Medical Aid Society Speaker: John Desmond The Tredegar Medical Aid Society was founded in Tredegar in South Wales in 1890. In return for a contribution from its members it supplied free health care. This society contributed the model which established the British National Health Service The provenance of John’s talk is a series of events which began last year. After […]
These are the slides from Roger Balls' talk at Bristol Anarchits Bookfair 2009. Download the pdf file here.
‘One and all, one and all, we’ll stand by one another’ Chant of a Sussex Swing mob (1830) ‘We will destroy the constables and threshing machines this year, next year we will have a turn with the parsons, and the third we will make war upon the statesmen’ Kent Swing activist (1830) Introduction In February this year a couple of members of Bristol Radical History Group travelled to Salisbury Guild Hall to witness the unveiling of a Trade Union plaque to commemorate the people who had passed […]
